


Plans and Persistence

by TheLiteraryMess



Category: Captain America - All Media Types, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Aftermath of Torture, Awesome Maria Hill, Brainwashing, Broken Characters, Canon Divergence - Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Canon Universe, Character Development, Dad!Steve, Domestic Avengers, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fanfiction, Father Steve Rogers, Fight Scenes, Fluff, Found Family, Friends to Lovers, Human Experimentation, Humor, Hydra (Marvel), Inspired by TikTok, Kidnapped Peter Parker, Marvel 616/MCU Crossover, Multi, Mutual Pining, NaNoWriMo, Original Character(s), Panic Attacks, Post-Endgame, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Protective Bucky Barnes, Romance, SHIELD, SHIELD Agent Reader (Marvel), Slow Burn, Spin-Off, Strong Female Characters, Uncle!Bucky, Unreliable Narrator, Violence, bad language, comic cameos, slightly edited
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-07
Updated: 2021-03-12
Packaged: 2021-03-12 21:06:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 15,400
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29890533
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheLiteraryMess/pseuds/TheLiteraryMess
Relationships: Peter Parker/Original Female Character(s), steve rogers/daughter!original character
Kudos: 7





	1. Prologue

**Prologue**

He kept his eyes trained on the cuff that was slowly squeezing his bicep. It was easier to block out the alien beeps and whirs if he just focused on one singular sense. He supposed things like this didn’t happen every day.

What was ‘this’?

The medical room had been created out of some kind of interrogation room. It was small and white, with a glass mirror on the wall to his left. He wasn’t stupid; he knew there was probably a small army waiting on the other side after what he’d pulled when he’d awoken.

“Blood pressure normal, Director Fury.” The doctor was a pretty woman, or maybe it was the fact that she just looked so otherworldly compared to the nurses he used to see. She slid the cuff off quickly, probably afraid of what he was capable of doing to her.

“Thank you. Doctor. You may leave us.”

Maybe he shouldn’t have been trying so hard to block out the world around him. Then he would’ve heard Nick Fury enter the room with a woman behind him.

“Soldier.”

“Nick.”

Fury narrowed his eye a little, but stepped further into the room. “I want to introduce you to someone. This is Dr Kassidy Clarke. Used to work for the C.I.A. Now, she works with SHIELD.”

“That’s the woman who tried lying to me when I woke up,” Steve noted, his gaze now fully magnetised to the woman who blushed, but not out of embarrassment. Shame?

Fury remained unfazed. “Captain Rogers, Howard Stark played a crucial role in Project Rebirth. The very project that made you the soldier you are today. Were you aware that Stark often dabbled in more…underground experiments?”

Steve kept his eyes trained on Dr Clarke. He was tired of feeling like a guinea pig, yet she had made no move towards the medical equipment.

“Howard Stark is- was a good man. He was my friend.”

Fury exchanged a glance with the doctor. Steve sat up straighter, his gaze fixated on the pair with interest.

“And were you aware that he had been taking samples of your blood for his own research purposes?”

Steve remained silent this time. The events leading up to being put in the chamber had mostly been a blur. All he really remembered was Peggy.

Fury nodded. “A vial was given to Agent Peggy Carter. She claims to have poured it into the water under Brooklyn Bridge,”

Fury paused, just as Steve had stopped listening. He hadn’t yet gone to see Peggy. He was too afraid of what he might find. She had moved on. Maybe staying away was for the best. Only one of them needed to be stuck in the past.

“What’s this all about?” he huffed.

If the vial was gone, there was nothing he could do about it. Did they want him to crash another plane into the sea?

“After the death of Howard Stark,” Fury began again, “the government sent special teams to clear out his labs. They ended up finding one more vial. Agent Carter had no knowledge of its existence.”

Steve stared hard at Fury, chest rising and falling as his thoughts echoed around the room, converging with Fury’s words. He recalled how Fury had sent the other doctor out of the room. This wasn’t about his blood pressure. Dr Clarke had been the first one he’d seen once he had awoken for a reason.

“What did they do?” He asked, though his voice was drowned out by the drumming of his heart.

“Twelve years ago, the C.I.A began experimenting with the serum. They wanted to see if they could make super soldiers from babies. The experiment ended up being a failure, but not entirely.”

“What do you mean?” He was getting angry now, fists clenching at his sides. It was no use them dancing around the subject when he was already struggling to process the rest of the information that had been thrown at him the past couple days.

Fury glanced at Dr Clarke, who stepped forward reluctantly. “We used your DNA to form an embryo that would share your genetics. The idea was to create another you, except a born hero.”

She pressed a button on a remote, and the mirror in the room changed to a window. Beyond the glass, he could see a girl. Not quite a child, nor a teenager.

A twelve-year-old girl.

“In the first seven years of the experiment, Juliette showed no signs that the serum had moved from your genes to hers. She’s just an ordinary girl. However, biologically, she is your daughter. Dr Clarke was a head scientist in the labs at the time. They chose her to act as a surrogate in the experiment rather than open the experiment up to the public. She’s raised Juliette since she was still government property.”

Steve was still focused on the girl behind the screen. Brunette like Dr Clarke, a tiny creature. That face though…

“Captain America, meet experiment 4110. Your daughter.”


	2. Juliette

The quinjet juddered a little as it flew over various mountaintops, causing Juliette to stumble and drop her laptop. Instead of hearing it clatter to the ground along with her heart, it was caught in a red spandex clad hand, as if he had expected it to fall.

“I keep telling you not to walk around with that thing.”

The girl narrowed her eyes at the brunette, always so cocky. She snatched up the device and plopped herself back down beside him. “You promised you’d help me, Pete. We’re graduating in a few months and I still haven’t finished my college application, which you promised to help me with. It’s not like you’ve gotta worry about any of this stuff. ESU would be crazy to even think about rejecting you,” she reminded him.

Peter smiled, “and you’re a Rogers. You could probably get the full ride to Harvard if you wanted to.”

“Yeah,” Juliette grumbled, “all because I’m Captain America’s daughter. It wouldn’t be right, I’m not smart enough for somewhere that pretentious anyway. Actually, I was thinking of using my mother’s last name. If I’m gonna get in anywhere, it has to be because I earned it. Not because of my family.”

It would feel wrong if she applied to any of the colleges when they knew who she was. She had heard of plenty of scandals. She didn’t want to end up anywhere that was wrong for her either.

College was too big to mess up, and she needed to work for it. Unlike Peter, she couldn’t earn straight A’s with just the bat of an eyelid. If it wasn’t for him, she probably wouldn’t have even made it to senior year.

Peter knew better than to argue. He just nodded and pulled the laptop between them, opening up to where the word document was already open with the same two words it had when she’d first begun about a week ago. It wasn’t as if time was slowly slipping through her fingers or anything.

“I thought you said it was going well,” Peter frowned.

“I said it wasn’t going bad,” she clarified, “which is true because it’s not going anywhere at all. I mean, I don’t even know what course I’m applying for, yet. Last I checked, there was no particular degree needed for being an avenger. And saving the world a bunch of times usually isn’t on the list of what colleges are looking for.”

If there was, it would’ve made the decision-making process all that much easier.

“Okay. The let’s go for the basics. What are your passions?” Peter asked, fingers poised over the keys of the laptop.

“Passions? Like, stopping bad guys and eating sandwiches from Delmars?”

Peter lay his head back. “Okay, I’m gonna let you think that one over. The simple questions are often secretly the hardest. What about the thing you value most?”

Now that one was a no-brainer. “Easy. Family. Started out with just my mom, now I have more family than I can count on one hand. I fought against them for my dad, and then I ended up meeting you.” 

Juliette wouldn’t want it any other way. She was truly grateful for everything she had been given after Steve had come out of the ice. Living the rest of her life in isolation would have been really crappy.

Peter smiled imperceptibly, his fingers dancing across the keys. “You’re gonna have to flesh this out later on. I’m not writing your application for you.”

Juliette pouted at that. “But you’re the smart one, Petey.”

“So are you. Don’t even try that one on me, Jules,” he turned to look at her once more. Almost like he knew she could never shy away from his gaze, “you wouldn’t have gotten in to Midtown otherwise, even without Mister Stark’s help. You just need to remember that being an Avenger isn’t your whole life. Cadet America is a persona invented by the media. You were Juliette Rogers way before you joined the team. You’ll always be plain Juliette to me.”

Juliette glanced up to meet Peter’s gaze and smiled faintly. She was sure a faint blush dusted her cheeks and thanked any god out there that the quinjet was dark. It wasn’t everyday she received such compliments. “Thanks, Pete,” she whispered.

“Alright, coming in to land now,” Sam announced from the cockpit of the jet.

Juliette closed her laptop with a sigh. So she still didn’t have an application ready to send off, but what she had was better than nothing. At least Peter seemed to have confidence that she would find the answers she was looking for. Perhaps what she really needed was to find herself. Something she hadn’t considered she needed to do for a long time.

“You’ll work it out. You have plenty of time,” Peter assured her whie they buckled up for landing.

His confidence was admirable, but it wasn’t like he didn’t already have a dozen scholarships lined up for him. Anywhere would be crazy to turn him away when he was piled high with references and past experience.

The jet landed and everybody filed down the ramp to un-suit and clean up. It had been a simple mission, really. An old run-down lab of Howard Stark’s had been broken into a few days back, and they’d been sent to double check to make sure it wasn’t one of Stark’s endless enemies. They’d done a quick sweep, but the hooligans had retreated as soon as they’d realised an alarm had been triggered. It didn’t even look like they’d known what kind of things they were supposed to be looking for. An easy mission.

Nevertheless, they’d needed to find some way to check the inventory and had spent hours just trying to hack into the security system. What was it with Stark’s and their privacy when it came to their experiments? Things would probably have gone faster had Tony still been alive. 

Alas, mission successful. It was nice to have smaller missions these days. After everything with Thanos, the entire world had just been exhausted. The team was exhausted. Nobody was particularly willing to risk their lives again anytime soon.

“I’m almost done with the newest version of the web fluid, and we have two hours before we’ve gotta start getting ready for tonight. You wanna come try it out with me?” Peter offered, falling into step beside Juliette, interrupting her thoughts before they could lead her anywhere near her grief for Natasha.

Juliette really was thankful to have Pete around. Things had been hard on all of them after Thanos, they all needed each other. One night she’d forgotten that he was going to Ned’s, and almost lost her mind when he didn’t return from his nightly patrol. She was scared, and needed him now more than ever. So whenever there was the opportunity to just be with him and enjoy the company of her friend, she took it.

“That depends. You think Bruce is still mad at me for getting webbing all over the computers? I apologised and bought him tacos, but I’m not entirely sure I’ve earned his trust back yet either,” she explained sheepishly.

It wasn’t like she’d meant to make such a mess. Those things were harder to aim than one would expect.

Peter smiled at her excuses. It was honestly a wonder that he still let her anywhere within a five-mile radius of the web shooters. It was nice to have somebody trust her like that, though. Juliette didn’t have any powers of her own, relying simply on the combat skills she had developed from her father and Natasha over the years. It would’ve been nice to have something on her to help her feel a little more protected. A little more helpful. 

Peter usually had his spidey senses to help him. To her, it was like trying to walk in a straight line while drunk. It sucked when she felt helpless like that. The rest of the team all had these super cool abilities while she was just the failed experiment. The test-tube baby.

“We should probably practise in the gym,” Peter eventually decided, “or maybe avoid any interior locations altogether. I don’t think Clint had been very delighted to see that all his arrows were tangled in a stringy mess when I first began working on different formulas. I’m not going to regret this, am I?”

“No promises.” Juliette grinned and jogged ahead so that she could change into something more comfortable before meeting with Peter again.

It had been over a year now since Tony Stark had used the infinity stones to kill Thanos, and Juliette had been brought back along with everyone else who had been lost in the snap. The avengers compound on the outskirts of New York had been rebuilt a few months after the battle, and yet everyone could still feel the grief in the corridors, the loss in the rooms that everyone had to walk past without looking at. So many scars remained, both emotional and physical, like the ones along Bruce’s arms from when he’d used the stones first to undo the snap. While the team had done their best to regroup and move on, everything was different now.

How much had Juliette changed? Things had once seemed so easy, so clear. She lived to save the world and thrived on fighting alongside the rest of the team. Now, she felt as though she was having to find herself all over again. Now, she was so scared all the time. Scared of losing any more loved ones, scared of disappearing for good next time.

Juliette stepped into her bedroom as F.R.I.D.A.Y turned all the lights on, dropping her suit to the ground. She was far too lost in her thoughts to bother cleaning up. It would probably take a while before the mission debriefing, anyway. They had to search through yet another inventory, and it would probably be the same boring lectures as usual. It felt good to have something to look forward to now. b been dying to try out Peter’s wen-shooters for ages. 

She pulled on her leggings and a clean shirt, leaving her hair tied up so she wouldn’t get any webbing caught up in it. Normalcy was so scarce these days, it just felt good to be excited about something again. She grabbed Natasha’s jacket last and slid it on over her shoulders. She was going to carry on Natasha’s legacy. It was a promise she intended to keep.

“Okay, F.R.I.D.A.Y, let Peter know I’m ready.”

“Okay, so it’s gonna be tempting to look at your hand, but that’s not gonna help with your aim. It’s actually better to just keep your eyes on the target. Trust that your fingers will find the button for you,” Peter finished tightening the strap around Juliette’s wrist and unclenched her fingers so that he could activate the web shooter. “Ready?” he asked, holding her gaze with his own as his fingers lingered over her palm.

Her entire hand felt tingly, as if it wouldn’t stop unless she just reached out and grabbed his hand. She didn’t though, that would be weird.

Instead, she cleared her throat and stepped away, letting the electric tingles die down by themselves after some time. “As ready as I’ll ever be. Just stand behind me, way behind me. Further than that.”

Peter’s eyes creased as he chuckled and he held his hands up in surrender, carefully manoeuvring himself five feet behind her. He’d set up some makeshift targets comprising of training dummies and his own iron suit given to him by Tony. Juliette felt less enthusiastic about that one, but he had assured her that these webs were practically harmless and wouldn’t leave a scratch.

“How long did you say it took for these ones to wear off?” she asked uncertainly.

“Half an hour. Hopefully. You’ll do great.”

Juliette hummed a little but turned her attention to the first target and aimed her wrist. She closed one eye to narrow her focus and took a deep breath. “Excelsior!” She slammed her fingers down on the button and watched the web spring into action, landing in a glistening mess on the ground a few miserable feet ahead of the target.

“Excelsi- what now?” Peter wondered aloud.

“I dunno, figured it would make me sound like a wizard and give me good luck. It clearly didn’t work, though.”

“You did nothing wrong, just takes practice is all. Try again.”

Juliette sighed. She really wasn’t feeling motivated enough for this, but it had been her idea and she didn’t want to disappoint Peter. She took another breath and aimed at the same target, about to have another go until an awkward cough disrupted her.

“Can I just-? Here,” Peter stepped closed and tilted her hand while lifting her wrist slightly higher, “you want to aim above the target, since gravity is gonna pull it downwards.”

Juliette activated the webs again, and they splattered gracefully over the target.

“You make it seem so much easier,” she grinned.

Peter chuckled. “Not really. Spidey senses, remember? It’s like my own personal cheat code.”

“Right, the Peter Tingle.”

“It’s not called- you spend way too much time around my aunt.”

Juliette only smiled in response. She wouldn’t have it any other way. May was always so welcoming towards her. She was an enigma of a woman. 

Juliette turned back to Peter. He was still busy admiring the web rather than pay attention to her. She smirked a little and pressed her fingers against the button once more. At sight of Peter standing there with the translucent silky strands all over his sweater, she couldn’t help the laughter erupting from her lips.

“I thought you would sense that!” she excused, doubling over with her arms around her stomach to try and suppress the snorts of joy.

“My spidey senses are for threats, you’re not threatening to me.” Peter glared at her, picking the webs off his chest.

“Well now, that’s just insulting.” Juliette straightened up once the laughter had finally died down and looked at Peter with a pout. 

Not a threat? Sure he was stronger, faster and smarter too. But she liked to think that even after all this time, he was still a little intimated by her being a Rogers.

“So your spidey senses are almost like a guide, right?”

“It’s like a sixth sense. I don’t think I’d still be alive if it weren’t for that part of my abilities. I’d have been dead long before Thanos or Beck came around.”

Juliette felt her chest tighten at the mention of him dying. If Peter had snapped and she hadn’t, she wasn’t sure she’d have been able to handle it. She’d suffered more than enough losses for a girl her age. She’d seen more horror or tragedy than any other human being should have to face, no matter their age.

“So if we were to blindfold you?” she asked.

“Then I’d still be able to fight,” was Peter’s answer, “given that my senses actually recognise it as a threat.”

“So no bananas.”

“That was one time, and I was exhausted. I certainly wasn’t expecting May to throw a banana at me.”

“Riiight. Keep telling yourself that, Parker.” She snickered again and had to quickly dodge out of the way when Peter attempted to elbow her in the ribs. “Okay, okay! Stand down, Spidey. I surrender.” She threw up her hands and giggled more. “If anything, it really adds to the who Spider-Man aesthetic. You could turn that into a Christmas jumper.”

“I have a Christmas jumper. I’m sure you could do with a little more cheer though.”

“Peter, no!” she yelped and ran away from his advances while Peter kept up the chase. 

The two of them were laughing harder than they had in a long while. Not that it had all been doom and gloom until now, but it was the first time in a while where they had felt fully carefree.

“I’d ask what’s going on, but honestly, I’m not sure I even wanna know. You two do remember what today is, yes?”

Peter removed his arms from around Juliette, where he had been previously attempting to tackle her to to the ground through tickles. They both straightened up at the sight of Kassidy crossing the grounds to greet them.

“We got home early from the mission, figured a bit of target practice couldn’t hurt.” Juliette explained to her mother.

“I would have thought you’d be taking a little more interest in making sure you had everything ready. Things like this don’t come every day.” Her words were firm, and yet Kassandra smiled as she spoke. 

Juliette supposed it must have been nice to see them so at ease again. It had been too long.

“I should call May.” Peter nodded.

Juliette fumbled to unstrap the web-shooters from her wrist and handed them back to the boy so he could leave as soon as they’d cleared up the targets. Eventually the area was mostly tidy. Peter headed off so that Happy could drive him home while Kassandra led Juliette back into the compound, intent on helping her get ready.

“Were you aware that there’s webbing stuck in your hair?”

Juliette groaned and pulled it out. “Were you aware that your timing sucks?”


	3. A New Chapter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Juliette and Peter attend May and Happy's engagement, trying desperately to allow themselves to have fun again.

Juliette didn’t think she had been to a fancy party since Tony had still been around. Even then, those had usually been pretty awkward with most of the attendees being twice her age and she’d barely been old enough to take part. Being the ‘baby’ of the group, she usually hung around Nat or her father. This time, rather than celebrating for no real reason, they were celebrating Happy Hogan’s engagement to Peter’s aunt, May. A glittering occasion in the darkness that had followed on from the fight against Thanos, and much anticipated by those closest to the future bride and groom. At least Happy hadn’t taken as long to propose as Tony had. He’d also promised them that there would be no robot attacks. 

Peter, understandably, had been protective of his aunt at the start of their courtship. Uncle Ben would always be an important figure in both their lives, but he had been more than willing to give his blessing when Happy finally worked up the courage to ask. Juliette was more than ecstatic for Peter’s aunt. Happy was nice enough, though a slight workaholic, and they both cared for Peter. It would be nice for him to have that normal family life again. Just the past few months with Peter spending more time getting used to the pair as a couple had done him good. Nobody could forget parent’s evening at school when Happy had referred to Peter as ‘my kid’. Peter would never forget. 

The perks of this event being so personal were that it allowed both Juliette and Peter to bring along some guests of their own. Ned would bring his girlfriend Betty Brant as his ‘plus two’, a concept he was convinced existed and if it didn’t, then he still got special treatment for being Peter’s best friend and the ‘nephew May wished she had’. The pair had also convinced MJ to make an appearance so that the group could all be together. It wouldn’t be much of a party otherwise, and they all needed a good excuse to relax and let loose. 

Now, with mere hours to spare, Juliette stood staring at her reflection in the mirror. She took in every difference and every familiarity from how she had seen herself before the snap. It was moments like this when she remembered just how much time had passed since she was a kid living in a secret government base and her best friends were the scientists who had run experiments on her. Most people would perceive her as a grown woman now. An avenger. A survivor. 

It would be the first of these events where Natasha wasn’t around to help her get ready in some kind of true badass attire. Her mother had tried her hardest to get the job done herself, but it wasn’t the same. It was pretty hard to recreate Natasha Romanoff’s work. 

Juliette knew she looked good tonight. Or at least, she looked not hideous. These days she struggled to recognise her own reflection. Tonight was no different, albeit for a different reason. It was the first time she’d really seemed like the woman she was growing into. Usually, she played off the ‘you’ve grown’ comments with a shrug and a smile. It was just a thing that all adults said when it had been a while. This time, Juliette finally understood what they all meant. The young woman looking back at her through the glass looked less like a damaged superhero and more like an ordinary girl. She had aged visibly, though not in a bad way. Her cheekbones had more of a defined structure, her blue eyes had darkened too. They held a lot of suffering in the depths of their irises. They’d somehow succeeded in curling her caramel locks into loose ringlets over her shoulders, and while the makeup was kept minimal because nobody had a steadier hand than Natasha, it did wonders to make Juliette look like the woman she was. The dress itself was gorgeous, red satin fabric to pay homage to her fallen friend, with thin straps and a floral pattern that wound itself around the dress from the bodice. 

“She’d be proud,” Kassandra promised, her hands coming down to rest on Juliette’s shoulders, “I’m proud. You’ve been through more pain than any other teenage girl should ever have to deal with, and you still came out fighting.” She brushed Juliette’s curls with her fingers to frame her face. “Such a beautiful, wonderful girl. It’s okay to start thinking about yourself now. You have too much of your future ahead of you to spend every moment grieving. This is a joyful occasion, and there are going to be plenty more. No use feeling sorry for yourself, baby.” 

Juliette relaxed her shoulders a little and nodded in response to her mother’s words. She was allowed to be happy. It just felt so weird. She’d gotten used to the trauma and the fear after coming back from the snap. Even a year later, it felt too soon for everything to be going back to normal. Peter was still plagued by the loss of Tony. Clint and Thor had retired altogether. Nothing was the same, she had to remember that.

But she was lucky to have been brought back. Tony had given her and the others a chance to live out the rest of their lives after being trapped in the soul realm for five years. She was about to graduate with her best friends, that was nothing to take lightly after all she had gone through. 

“I just really miss them,” she whispered. 

It was hard to be happy when everywhere she looked, there was some kind of reminder of all they had lost. It was why she found such comfort with Peter; he had already been through it all. 

“I know,” Kassandra kissed the side of her head and smoothed out the dress once more, “you know who else misses them? Happy. The best we can do is help him enjoy this night. He and May deserve this.” 

Juliette took a shaky breath and nodded again. It was time to move on with these new beginnings. A new chapter in life. Peter would probably be feeling some kind of way too. Juliette needed to be there for him, just as he’d been there for her pretty much since the day they’d met. Her mother was right, both May and Happy deserved this. The previous summer had been a tough obstacle to overcome, but here they were. Juliette was truly happy that the pair had managed to find love after so much tragedy had consumed them for the past decade or so. 

Maybe Juliette deserved that too. 

“Red suits you, you know. Figures,” Kassandra hummed, drawing her curls back from her shoulders with gentle fingers. 

Juliette frowned and turned to her mother’s smirking face. “What makes you think that?” 

“Just seems to be your colour is all. Brings out the blue in your eyes. Red and blue, seems to be the perfect combination.” Kassandra reached out to squish her cheek, and Juliette was quick to squirm out of her reach. 

Kassandra chuckled. 

“Okay, okay. We have to go, we promised to help with the setup, You really don’t wanna see what Happy’s like when he’s in full panic mode. Peter and I had that misfortune once, it was terrifying.” And knowing Peter, he probably still hadn’t learned his lesson. 

Her mother helped her expertly pack her purse with the supposed essentials, her lipstick, phone, some cash and mints. Juliette didn’t really want to know where her mother’s mind was going with that one. They’d be travelling with Wanda and probably getting a taxi home. Kassandra was relatively close with May, as a result of Juliette and Peter’s friendship, so she was more than welcome to join. It was nice to see both sides of her family come together. 

They finished getting ready and were soon on their way to the venue. It was a night to relax and just enjoy being alive. They’d never officially celebrated their victory. What better time to do so? 

Being in close relations with the Stark’s clearly had its perks. May was never one to want anything too fancy or outlandish, but Pepper had insisted on helping with the funding for everything involved in the wedding process and Happy had secured them a garden rooftop for the night. Something about the greenery being lit in a golden glow from the fairy-lights, keeping them safe and warm while the sky above was dark, just reminded Juliette of how lucky they were. They had survived the impossible, and they were still blooming every day.

A few of the team were already hanging around, laying tables and hanging decorations while trying to keep Happy from blowing his top. The wedding itself was set to be small, but the occasion was nothing but and so May had agreed to letting everyone plan this party in anticipation for the major event. The lengths he went to in order to keep May happy were immeasurable. It was quite admirable, really. Juliette hoped that she’d be able to find that with someone someday. It would be nice to see her mother settle down too, but that was a big ask with Kassandra being such a workaholic. Almost everyone at school was now in a relationship. It was something that Juliette hadn’t really ever given much thought to in the past. She’d only really just formed her first genuine friendships in the past three years. Anything remotely related to romance she was completely hopeless in with her lack of experience. Still, it was nice to witness. Especially if it resulted in beautiful rooftop parties like this one. 

“Boo! Whoa…” 

Peter had wandered over with arms full of balloons. He wore a dark blue suit, though his tie was poking out at a weird angle. He dropped the balloons to the ground and kicked them awkwardly out of the way, his eyes looking Juliette over in awe. She supposed it was probably the first time Peter had ever actually seen her in a dress. Safe to say he wasn’t overreacting for her benefit then.

“You look- just…wow, Julie.” Peter flushed slightly, then plastered another smile onto his face. “I don’t think you’re supposed to outshine May. I’d offer you my jacket, but I’m not sure it would do much to help. J-just cos nothing could ever make you look less pretty.” 

“Keep the jacket, Peter. I think I’ll be safe.” Juliette chuckled, the faintest of blushes dusting her cheeks. 

“Bold assumption, but okay. Mind helping me spread the confetti over the tables? Apparently just pouring them into a pile in the middle of the table isn’t aesthetic enough.” 

Juliette groaned and rolled her eyes. “I’ll help, but only because you’re so incredibly hopeless. It’s an engagement party, Pete. These things matter.” 

She approached to fix his tie, smoothing down the satin fabric with her palm while Peter watched, looking rather dumbfounded. She smirked a little to herself at how his eyes remained on her finger, slowly trailing upwards until she flicked his nose. Peter wrinkled his nose, swatting Juliette’s hand away playfully as she laughed in response. 

“I mean it, before Happy loses his mind. We have to help him make tonight perfect. The least we can offer after all he’s done for you.”

She grabbed a couple packets from the table. It was all the tacky sequin words like ‘lovebirds’ and ‘congratulations’, but from what she had seen, love was often tacky and cute and everything she had successfully avoided so far. She walked around, laying each table with about three handfuls each. May had given her so much, especially after Berlin, helping her out when Steve had gone into hiding after saving Bucky. She wanted to give back to the woman who always seemed to give her all. 

“Hey, look at this real quick.” 

Juliette glanced up and narrowly dodged the confetti Peter had blown her way, raising her eyes once more to glare at the boy. 

“Oh, you ass. You messed with the wrong Rogers.” 

She giggled and kicked off the confetti fight, running around the tables and dodging as guests began trickling in. At one point, she caught her foot on the leg of a chair and would have gone tumbling to the ground, probably flashing everyone, had Peter not caught her in his arms. Seemed like the Peter Tingle really did work. 

“Whoa, you okay?” Peter asked with a frown. He was probably worried that May would be on his ass if he caused an injury. Her and Happy both.

“Is that Brad Davis?” Juliette squinted. 

Peter stiffened a little at the mere mention of their classmate. He followed her gaze once he had made sure she was steady on her feet again. A very formally dressed couple had just walked up the stairway, and Brad Davis was trailing behind them. The trio were all wearing bright smiles as they greeted the happy couple. That was probably where Brad got his usual optimism from. Juliette hadn’t really seen Brad much outside of school since Venice. He wasn’t all that close with Peter, so she had no clue what the hell he was doing at his aunt’s engagement party of all places. 

“Oh. Yeah, the Davis’ are new partners of Stark Industries. Happy thought it best to invite them to keep up a good rapport. May made him promise not to take over with business talk tonight,” he shrugged, shoving his hands into his pockets as they observed the Davis family. 

Juliette nodded. It made sense. They probably wanted Brad to take over the family business or something and had sent him off to Midtown. He wasn’t just there to be a basketball star. Brad was always so nice and humble, she kind of just assumed that he came from a normal typical family. “We should go say hi,” she decided. 

“Why?” Peter scrunched up his nose a little and turned to her in confusion. It wasn't like she’d just suggested they commit mass genocide or anything, but that’s what someone might think if they saw how he was looking at her. 

Juliette huffed and nudged him, “because, we’re probably the only ones here that he actually knows and, because we’re nice people.” 

“He’s only going to ogle over you the whole time,” the boy whined.

“Then I’ll let him down gently. But we can’t leave him standing in the corner looking all miserable. It would ruin the party for your aunt. You know how it feels to be the wallflower at a lively party. The least we can do is provide some company.” 

Peter didn't seem all too happy about the idea, but he reluctantly agreed and let her drag him over to where Brad was standing. Better than receiving a rant from Aunt May. She shouldn't have to scold her nephew at her own engagement party. 

“Brad, hi.” 

The boy looked up in surprise and glanced at Peter before focusing on Juliette and giving a small smile. 

“Hi. It’s a really nice party. Congratulations to your aunt, Peter.” 

Pete said nothing at first until Juliette nudged him and he grunted a thank you. 

“We just wanted to keep you company. These things can get rather lonely when you don’t know many people.” Juliette explained, deciding to take control of the conversation since Peter was intent on being grumpy the whole time. 

“Oh, yeah. Kinda only came because my dad said I should make a good impression on my future business partners.” 

Peter stiffened again. It was no secret that he was set to inherit Stark Industries eventually. Or at least, that was what everybody expected. And he would probably be less than pleased if he ended up having to work with Brad Davis for the rest of his life. 

“Oh. Well, that sounds like a good idea, I suppose,” She glanced at Peter, feeling sorry for him in that moment. It would be like someone asking her to work with HYDRA. Well, maybe not that dramatic, but it still would put him in a foul mood, something she was supposed to be preventing so that he could enjoy the party. 

Luckily for Peter’s temper and Juliette’s sanity, May rescued them by tapping a spoon against her champagne glass so that all the guests who had arrived would gather around to listen to them speak. 

Peter grabbed Juliette’s hand and practically dragged her over to the crowd, far away from Brad and his family. 

“What is it you have against him?” 

“Nothing,” Peter shrugged, “I just want to make sure I can hear May.” 

So he was going to be difficult. Juliette sighed and shook her head, but dropped the subject so that she could also listen in. 

May stood under the fairy lights, one arm looped through Happy’s while the other clutched her glass. Juliette had never seen May drunk, but she had a feeling that wouldn’t be the case for much longer. 

“So, as most of you know, this will be my second marriage. Something no little girl ever hopes to have to say. But I know that my Ben, may he rest in peace, would have been so overjoyed that I could find love again. I can hear him now, ‘I’m happy for you May, but what the hell do you see in the control freak?’” The crowd laughed, and Juliette was happy to see that even Peter cracked a smile at the mention of his uncle. She would have liked to meet him. 

“What’s important, is that I know Ben would have approved. My nephew approves. Because, that’s something that the movies don’t make clear. You don’t fall in love only once. But it is rare, and so you have to hold on to it once you find it, before it’s too late. So ,Happy, just a warning that this is your last chance to back out because after we’re married, you’re never getting rid of me. It’s been a strange few years, and so Happy and I really appreciate everybody for coming out to support us. Obviously, there are people not here who we wish could be, but we’re thankful for those we do have. We can’t imagine spending the rest of our lives with anyone else. And lastly, a request to my fiance. Please don’t send me a voice-recorded to-do list on our wedding day.” 

Juliette chuckled along with the rest of the guests and turned to look at Peter. She hadn’t seen him so relaxed in a while. “What’re you so happy about? You know it’s gonna be you who receives that to-do list on the day.” 

Peter only smiled wider and shrugged. “Worth it if these are who I get to spend the rest of my life with.” 

Juliette returned the smile. That didn’t seem like such a bad life.

“Hey, losers!” 

They both turned their heads towards MJ, she was stood with Ned and Betty by the snack table. 

“You go ahead, I should go talk to my aunt and Happy,” Peter nudged her gently, and she nodded.

“Congratulate them for me.” 

She made her way over to the small group, letting them shove a plate into her hands while they fawned over May’s buffet choices. It felt good to have relationships like this. People who didn’t give a damn who her father was or what she did in her spare time. All because she’d met a boy in red spandex who couldn’t keep his mouth shut during a fight. Getting into Midtown High had been a blessing, and she was honestly sad to be leaving. 

“Is it true there was a break-in in one of Howard Stark’s labs?” Ned asked, though he toned down his excitement slightly when Betty pinched his arm.

“Uh yeah, it’s being taken care of though. We’ll know what they were looking for by morning,” Juliette assured her friends.

“Care to dance?” 

Juliette turned to see Peter standing with his usual awkward smile playing on his lips, holding a single yellow carnation in his hand as he shifted from foot to foot, awaiting an answer. “I promise not to step on your foot. Those heels look three inches of deadly.” 

Juliette gently plucked the flower from between his fingers and brought it to her nose. She’d seen it in the movies, so she assumed that it was the right thing to do. “You know yellow carnations represent rejection, right? It’s almost like you’re asking me to say no. That or you’re disappointed in my terrible aim with the web-shooters,” she smirked. 

There was something almost adorable about the way Peter’s lips parted and his eyes grew wider than they did in the suit. How could any villain possibly try to kill him when he was just so cute? Maybe if he didn’t hide those eyes behind a mask, he wouldn’t get his ass kicked so much. 

“What?! Since when did flowers become passive aggressive? That’s the complete opposite of their purpose. Please don’t say no, I could get in so much trouble for picking that. It just looked bright and happy, l-like you.” 

Juliette chuckled a little and reached over to pick up a lily from the nearest flowerbed, placing it into Peter’s pocket. “There ya go. Now we’re both vigilantes. Maybe if we’re lucky, we’ll get to be cellmates. 

Peter’s panicked expression relaced into a relieved smile. “Yeah, okay. May could bring us snacks on visitation day when she’s stopped being mad. So, that dance still of interest to you?” 

Juliette glanced around her. Everyone was pretty far gone already. Nobody seemed to care that they looked like the air men outside of car rentals. She wasn’t sure she could even try to dance as horribly as now Ned was. 

“I’ll dance,” she relented, “but we stick to the sidelines.” 

Peter nodded and took her hand, leading her to the very edge of the dance floor. She was nervous, but having Peter with her helped to suppress the anxiety for the most part. 

“Just don’t make it weird. Friends dance all the time, I’ve seen Harry Potter,” Peter assured her, almost as if his Peter Tingle somehow also allowed him to sense her hesitation. 

Or maybe she was just that obvious. 

“Only after I made you watch it because you and Ned made me sit through Star Wars,” Juliette reminded, though she took his outstretched hand and let herself be pulled in close. 

She had to lean up on her toes just a little to lean her head against Peter’s shoulder, but his arms were warm and welcoming. Familiar. 

“You loved every minute of it,” Peter murmured into her hair. 

“It’s amazing,” she agreed. 

“I know.” 

“Oh, did you think you were being subtle there?” 

They both laughed as Peter broke away and took hold of Juliette’s hands to spin her in towards his chest. 

“Maybe. Or maybe I just know you so well that I could already tell you were worthy enough to join the big leagues. You make a pretty good dork. We needed a pretty one to complete the holy trinity.” 

Juliette blushed and rolled her eyes. “You don’t have to try so hard to make me your friend. You’re never getting rid of me now, no matter where the two of us end up next year.” 

Peter span her back and smiled. “You think I’m letting you slip away that easily? Like May told Happy, you’re never getting rid of me. Wherever you go, I’ll be swinging.” 

Now that was something she’d like to see. 

“I’m not leaving you, if that’s what you’re worried about. I know who I want to spend the rest of my life with.” 

Peter smiled down at her, a wide grin that Juliette was quick to return. His eyes trailed downwards to her lips, and she had no idea what to do next. Her mind was running way too fast for her to catch on to a single thought. Peter opened his mouth to speak when the bass dropped, causing them to spring apart when the upbeat club song started blasting through the speakers. That had never happened before. What was that? There was a small seating area at the back of the rooftop, Juliette started towards it but Ned and MJ had rejoined the group and were already pulling them into a dance circle. It was a party to remember, but Juliette couldn’t recall anything except the feeling of Peter’s hand on her waist and the way she’d felt like she was floating when he looked at her that way.


	4. Stark's Mistake

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nick Fury interrupts the party with a task that might just affect Juliette's life forever.

The party had finally died down around two in the morning. They had turned the music low so that Juliette could finally hear her own thoughts among the quiet chatter of straggling party guests. While she wanted nothing more than to go home and sleep, she couldn’t exactly leave all the cleaning up to May and Happy either. May was indeed a little drunk and was still in the middle of the dance floor making Happy entertain her while everybody else cleaned up. They couldn’t exactly complain though, the couple were happy, and that was all that mattered. 

Leaving the happy couple to their own devices, she and Peter both grabbed brooms to clear up the latex from popped balloons, confetti and spilled food. 

“It’s real nice seeing them so content,” Juliette remarked, leaning against the broom as she observed the couple. 

Peter hummed, though his gaze was fixed on the New York skyline rather than his aunt and future uncle-in-law. Peter, who hadn’t shut up about May and Happy getting married since he first suspected they were dating. 

“What is it, Pete?” 

He chewed on the inside of his cheek, glancing over to the couple of the hour before fixing his attention onto Juliette. “Do you really think I can do it? Lead Stark Industries?” 

There it was. That small inkling that he’d never live up to Stark still lingered, especially after everything with Mysterio a few months ago. Knowing that Tony had wanted him to be better had to be an immense weight on his shoulders, and Juliette really wished the man could have kept his mouth shut for once. She didn’t doubt Peter, though. He was just his worst critic, and it seemed like a hell of a challenge to live up to the legacy of Tony Stark. She knew what that was like.

“I think you’re more capable than you believe,” Juliette started, “Stark wouldn’t leave the business to just anyone. I think he hopes that you’ll take over and make it your own thing. He would have known that you’d do things differently, and that’s exactly what he would want. Stark Industries is about making a difference; maybe Parker Industries is that difference. It’s like Happy said, Tony wouldn’t have done what he did if he didn’t know you were going to be around afterwards. He believed in you. We believe in you.” 

Maybe it wasn’t what he wanted to hear. He didn’t seem keen on taking on that responsibility, but every word rang with truth. Peter was the only man for the job. Pepper would still be there to help, but she wanted to focus on being there for Morgan while she was growing up. Peter was closer to being part of the family, it made sense for him to take that seat at the desk. It was what Tony would have wanted. 

“I know that,” Peter sighed and ran a hand over his face, “but Tony Stark changed the world. I mean, I’m just a kid from Queens.” 

“And my dad was just a kid from Brooklyn. Natasha was just a kid from Russia. Wanda just a girl from Sokovia. Haven’t they all changed the world? You’ve got this, Pete.” 

There could be nobody else. The position had been left to Peter.

Peter’s lips curled upwards, and he nodded, tilting the broom once more so he could start sweeping. “You take after your dad in giving pep talks, ya know.” 

“Runs in the blood.” 

Juliette resumed her own sweeping, but now she was losing herself in her own thoughts. Although Peter may worried about his future, at least he knew what he wanted to do. Juliette didn’t have that. Other than saving the world every few years, she didn’t really have anything else planned out for her like Peter did. No company to inherit or epic quest for answers. She had nothing. Steve had passed his legacy onto Sam. If she didn’t even have that, what did she have? 

“Just the pair of young heroes I was hoping to see.” 

Both Juliette and Peter looked up as Nick Fury stepped out onto the roof, Maria Hill following close behind. Juliette exchanged a glance with Peter as they dropped the brooms. As much as they liked the man, even if he was terrifying, Juliette doubted he was there to congratulate May and Happy. Not when the party had already ended. Which could only really mean one thing. 

“What’s going on?” Happy asked, emerging from behind the bar with May. 

They came to stand protectively beside the teenagers. Nobody wanted a repeat of the Europe trip. 

“Trust me, we wouldn’t have come if it weren’t important. But we all know how Mr Parker likes to dodge calls,” Nick glanced at Peter, who shrank back a little behind Juliette, then continued. “we found something from the last mission. I didn’t want to break up the party, but with everybody else gone, Rogers and Parker might be our best chance of getting some answers.” 

“I don’t understand, what answers? We checked the lab, everything seemed in place,” Peter spoke up. 

Had Juliette mentioned he wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed? “Emphasis on seemed, Pete. So how much did they take?” 

Fury looked at Juliette, and even with one eye it was as if she could still feel him staring right into her soul. “That’s the thing, they only took one thing. But it was something nobody knew existed until a few hours ago, except HYDRA,” Fury glanced at Happy then crossed his arms, “did Tony ever mention that he was trying to replicate some of his father’s experiments?” 

They’d taken to hunkering down at the back of the roof, where a few couches surrounded a coffee table. Juliette sat beside Peter with Fury opposite him. Hill was the only one standing, though she quickly realised that she had no need to be on her guard and leaned against the back of the couch where Fury sat. To anyone else, it would almost look like parents lecturing their kids. If only that were the case. 

“We ran through Howard Stark’s inventory list,” Fury said, “it was all the usual, same as the rest of his labs. Except for one item hidden in the encryption. A vial of blood belonging so C.A. We already know that Stark had a particular interest in the serum running through Captain America’s veins.” His eye remained focused on Juliette the entire time he spoke. 

She pursed her lips, feeling Peter’s hand move over to her own as her fingers gripped onto the arm of the couch. “And? Peggy Carter destroyed the other vial,” she tried. 

“We’re well aware of that,” Fury pointed out. 

“What he means is that we also initially assumed it was just a fluke,” Agent Hill chipped in, “but Howard was still around when she gained possession of the vial. He would have removed it from the inventory. At the very least, he wouldn’t have kept it so hidden. Stark may have been chaotic, but he also kept everything in that lab pretty damn immaculate.” 

Beside her, Peter glanced at his hands. Howard wasn’t the only Stark who could work like that when the rest of the world seemed to be falling apart. 

“We don’t know anything for sure,” Nick continued, “but risks like this can’t be left to spiral into the worse case scenario. We already know there’s a lot that can be done with the serum. It brought more than enough trouble with Cap. Agent Hill and I managed to track down a base where we think the new HYDRA group is hiding. We need to infiltrate it and make sure that if there’s a vial, it doesn’t end up in the wrong hands.” 

Juliette stared into her lap. Another vial. It had never really been confirmed just how many times Howard Stark had drawn blood from her father. How many vials might still be out in the world. She just never thought that it meant anything. The government had failed in their experiments and now Steve was out of the ice, they’d have to gain his consent to ever try again, which he certainly wasn't willing to give. HYDRA had been taken down, and Bucky had broken his hypnosis. She hadn’t even stopped to consider if there was more. She’d never stopped to consider what that might mean. Would there be others like her? Kids experimented on from babies. Nobody deserved to endure that. She wouldn’t have wished that on Thanos himself. 

“You want us to infiltrate the enemy base to find the sample,” Juliette clarified, feeling the bile bubbling in her stomach. 

Nick Fury fixed his gaze on her. Now she understood why this couldn’t wait until the rest of the team got back. Shit. 

“We figured you of all people would understand the importance of keeping any more of those samples from getting out. We may not have the time to sit around waiting for the others to her back and handle this. You’ll have Barnes with you, and Agent Hill will keep communications from nearby. I’m not sending you in alone.” 

“You won’t be running in blindly either,” Hill added, “we’re sending a spy in first to get us the schematics. You just need to get the vial and try to stay alive.” 

“Right, we can do that.” Juliette nodded and turned to Peter to gage his reaction. 

Peter stared at his hands uncomfortably. The last time he’d tried to avoid one of Fury’s missions, he had taken to hijacking their school trip to Europe while SHIELD had been forced to deal with weeks of damage control. The implications this time round could be exactly the same, if not worse. It wasn’t worth the risk, that was for damn sure. 

“You know once they win, there’s no going back,” Juliette whispered, hoping to convince him. 

“And what about you?” Peter asked, “you’d be putting yourself at risk too. If something happened-” 

“I can take care of myself. Our job is to protect those. And like Fury said, we’ll have Barnes with us. We’ve got this. Just in and out.” 

Peter chewed the inside of his cheek. “Get us the schematics and you’ll get the sample.” 

Hill nodded. “You’ll be going in from this window here, the spy will we’ll let you in from the inside. It’s up to you to work out exactly how you wanna navigate your way to the lab, whichever works best for your abilities. Our guy will try to keep the heat off you as much as he can, but you won’t have time to mess around,” she explained. 

They were back in the compound now, sat round the table in the conference room. They had a plan to leave for the HYDRA base first thing tomorrow morning when they were better rested. Fury hadn’t been too happy about them putting it off this long, but they needed time to form a proper plan if they were going into the belly of the beast. Well, one belly. 

Juliette sat across from Peter, with the spreadsheet for the base layout sprawled on the table in front of them, side by side with an old spreadsheet of a base her father and Natasha had infiltrated so that they could check for any similarities. Bucky sat beside Peter, gazing between the spreadsheets, although there seemed to be a lack of interest in his gaze. 

Given all the time they’d both been living at the compound together, Juliette wasn’t sure she’d ever had a proper conversation with the man. He wasn’t much of a conversationist after all he’d been through, but he was supposed to be her father’s best friend and he never truly seemed to acknowledge her existence. Not like she followed her dad all the way to Berlin to help prove his innocence so he could avoid jail time. Nevertheless, it would be useful to have him around to help them if they ran into trouble. 

“The mission is simple;” Hill began, “get in, find the vial, get out. Banner has given Dr Clarke clearance for the lab so we can get the blood tested as soon as possible. Then it’s up to Steve to decide what he wants to do with it.” She rolled up the older spreadsheet and handed out their communication devices. “We have to monitor our guy, Happy has agreed to stand by with a quinjet in case you need a quick escape, though we’re hoping that won’t be needed. Once you have the vial, keep it safe and bring it back as soon as possible. The rest of the team will travel to California to check Stark’s home lab. SHIELD is counting on you, all of you.” 

After they were dismissed, Juliette made her way to her room to prepare. She watched Bucky up ahead, catching him just as he ducked into his room, and moments later she could hear the beep of the lock. That was it; no asking if she was okay, fighting for her to stay behind and keep out of trouble. Some family.

She scanned her palm and the door to her room slid open. The room still smelled faintly of the perfume she had worn for the engagement party, and her suit was still draped over the back of her desk chair, along with Natasha's jacket. No point moving it, they were to leave as soon as the sun began to set.

Instead, Juliette unzipped her dress and replaced it with her Midtown sweater, flopping onto the bed with a groan. One day of peace. Was that so much to ask for? Apparently so for Avengers. Life just seemed to be getting harder and harder all the time. Juliette wasn’t sure where she’d be tomorrow, let alone after graduation. It just seemed like an impossible feat to plan things that far ahead. At this rate, she just hoped to be alive in the future.

She had F.R.I.D.A.Y turn out the lights and laid on her side, facing the wall as she thought about the mission. If HYDRA were going to repeat their super soldier experiments…. she didn’t want to think like that. Not everyone had a Steve Rogers who would put everything else on the line to save them. Not even Juliette.


	5. The Plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter and Juliette head to the HYDRA base in search of Captain America's blood sample.

“Alright, Bug Boy. What's the plan?” Juliette asked, taking a seat at the kitchen table beside her web-slinging friend. 

She’d barely slept during the night, so she was running on pure adrenaline and determination. All she needed now was a little caffeine, and she’d be good to go. 

Peter sat up straighter in what must have been his attempt at being assertive; though his gaze lingered on the glass of orange juice that sat before him. “You’re not coming,” he mumbled. 

Juliette scoffed and tilted her head, “ha, that’s cute,” she waited for the boy to laugh with her. Silence had never been so deafening. “I am coming, Peter.” 

How could he think she wasn’t going to come on the mission when it was her family that would be affected most by it? She was the one that had undergone the first set of experiments. He had to know that she wasn’t just going to sit around at home waiting for the boys to save the day for her. 

“I just said you’re not going!” Peter looked up now, eyes daring her to try him. 

Luckily, Juliette wasn’t very good at taking the hint. 

“Why not? Fury approached the both of us. And with the rest of the team busy searching all the other labs, you’re gonna need all the help you can get.” 

Peter huffed, “I don’t want you getting hurt, okay? You’re a Rogers, you’re literally the perfect target. Not everyone will risk your life like that, Jules,” he snapped. 

So he was playing the name game now. Real classy. 

“Peter, that's not going to stop me. I wasn’t scared of HYDRA then, and I'm not scared now. I have to be there because I’m a Rogers. I know how to protect myself, nothing’s gonna happen.” 

“I don’t want to worry about you being there.” Peter kept trying. 

Persistence. Sometimes Juliette thought that was Peter’s real superpower. 

The girl scoffed and folded her arms. Two could play at the game of persistence. “Either I come with you,” Juliette leaned forward on her elbows, “or I follow you there.” She stared hard at the brunette until he seemed to shrink under her determined stare and instead looked down to his plate of untouched toast. 

“Fine,” he grumbled. 

She felt bad about making him worry, but it was something he would just have to get used to. They’d both been in this superhero business long enough to know that the other wouldn’t be retiring soon, even if that meant getting hurt every once in a while. 

A small smile tugged at Juliette’s mouth, and she pulled his glass towards her to take a sip of the juice. “Thank you. So, what’s the plan?” 

Peter’s eyes followed as Juliette brought the glass to her lips before he shrugged and shook his head. “I don't know,” he tried to laugh it off, but she wasn’t impressed. 

Juliette knew the inner workings of HYDRA. If this new science division was anything like that, then infiltrating their labs wouldn't just be a walk in the park. It took careful calculation and thought, which was exactly why Agent Hill had made them study the schematics of the base for so long yesterday. 

“You don’t have a plan. What exactly did you think you were going to do, knock on the door and ask them if they have Captain America’s blood hidden away? Have I really got to do everything around here?” she asked incredulously. Juliette loved Peter, but for a supposed genius, he really radiated dumbass energy sometimes . 

“You do it then,” Peter responded with another shrug of his shoulders. 

“Gladly,” Juliette smiled. With the mission now in her much more capable hands, she pulled her laptop towards her and opened up the PowerPoint she’d made late last night, “okay, so here’s the plan.” 

Peter grinned and shook his head before resting his chin in his palm as his eyes flitted to the screen. “Aye aye, Captain.” 

Juliette started the slide and frowned. “Shouldn’t Bucky be here so he knows what’s going on?” 

Peter glanced down at his orange juice once again. “Bucky’s not coming.” 

“What?” It was risky enough with just the three of them going in. Now he wanted to leave the possibly deadly mission to the youngest of the team? Sure, they weren’t exactly kids anymore, but the mission was going to be dangerous either way. The more people to watch their backs, the better. Though, clearly Bucky thought otherwise. They were on their own for this one. “Okay, well suit up. If anything happens, we blame it on Bucky.” 

An agent from SHIELD met them by the window at precisely the right time. 

Peter knelt down with his hands clasped together to hoist Juliette up high enough to swing herself over the ledge before he swung himself up to do the same. 

They landed as quietly as they could, heading down the hallway in the opposite direction from the agent who would keep the scientists distracted. 

“We might die tonight,” Juliette commented under her breath, trailing behind Peter. 

What a way to go. At least she knew she’d be going down in history. She remained behind Peter, relying on his enhanced senses to keep them out of harm's way. The plan was for him to lead and keep watch while she searched for the sample. 

“You got your comms on?” Peter asked, “in case something goes wrong.” 

“I have a gun, that’ll save me before anyone else does. But yes, and Happy will check in every so often. Nothing will go wrong, Pete.” 

“Don’t jinx it,” the brunette warned, “alright, control room is this way. I’ll help you hack into the system, then you direct me to the lab while setting up the distractions.” 

“I think I can handle my own plan, Parker.” 

The pair walked a little further down the hall until they found the control room. They double checked the communication devices once more and exchanged a glance. Splitting up had never been a good idea when it was just the three of them. Now Juliette liked the idea even less. It was like taking bread out of the toaster with a fork, despite knowing the dangers, and just hoping for the best. So not Juliette’s finest idea by far. Actually, it was a terrible, awful, practically insane idea. 

“See you in a minute?” Peter asked, already backing down the corridor. 

“Famous last words, bug boy.”

Honestly? Juliette had been expecting a lot more for the control room of an enemy base. This just seemed to be your regular security office. Juliette sat at the desk and plugged in the override. “Okay, I’m in. What do I do?” 

The comms crackled and her stomach dropped, until finally Peter’s voice came through. Almost like he was right beside her, soothing her, “okay, there should be a black icon somewhere…” 

And so, with Peter’s help, she managed to set a delay on the security camera recordings and worked on directing him to the lab while also keeping one eye on the spy from SHIELD. 

“Careful, there’s a guard outside. There should be a skylight above you? Swing yourself up there. Once you’re on the roof, there will be another one on your left. It should drop down right into the main lab. Setting up your distraction in 3… 2… 1… bingo. Okay, door’s gonna be locked for about five minutes, then you can take care of the guard if you need more time.” 

“Got it, thanks Jas.” 

Peter grunted a little as he jumped up, and Juliette watched the guard panic when the pad beside the door fizzled out. She could only hope he’d be dumb enough to try fixing it himself rather than go get help instantly. 

“Anything?” she asked. She was really starting to hate being separated from her best friend in an enemy base.

“Duuuude. It’s like Dexter’s Laboratory in here! This is gonna take some time.” 

Juliette could tell he was trying his hardest to hold in his excitement, but the concept only worried her more. What exactly were they trying to accomplish with all these experiments? 

“Time is kinda of the essence here, Pete. Check the main desks first. Hurry, the spy seems to be struggling to keep them all at bay right now.” 

“Hurry? You’re the one who insisted someone stay behind to watch the footage! I could use your help.” Pete argued.

Juliette rolled her eyes. Boys. She narrowed her eyes on the miniscule screen displaying the lab that he was in. Even she wasn’t sure they’d given themselves enough time to search. Time was no friend of theirs. “Please don’t die. Those chemicals don’t look like they’re very neutral on the Ph scale.” 

A huff came through the comms, and Juliette couldn’t help but smile. 

“I really love it when you hype me up. I totally don’t feel even more anxious at all.” 

Juliette chuckled under her breath and turned her attention back to the screen. They had this all under control. It actually felt good to be working together like this again. Juliette couldn’t remember what life had been like before joining the team. It was always easier to forget such unpleasantness. She checked on their spy once more and frowned. “Uh oh.” 

“Uh oh? That doesn’t sound good, I wan’t kidding when I said you were making me nervous. What’s uh oh?” Peter’s voice asked. 

“Some of the scientists are making their way back. I don’t think the spy can communicate with us yet though, he’s still got a bunch around him.” 

She heard Peter curse while she did exactly the same thing in her head. They weren’t running towards the lab, which meant that they didn’t know Peter was there, yet. Juliette heard a commotion and glanced behind her in fear, only to be met with the wall. She fixed her gaze back on the screens and quickly realised that her timer on the door lock had ended; the guard was able to get the door open and was putting up a fight with Peter. 

Uh oh indeed. 

“Any chance you can do that quieter?” she hissed.

“I’m sorry, do you want me to get caught?” 

Juliette rolled her eyes. One day, Peter’s sarcasm was going to get him killed. Again. She checked the cameras once more. Those scientists were getting closer. “We’re gonna have to take a raincheck on that escape plan. I’m coming in to cover you.” 

The chair span wildly as she shot up and grabbed her gun from the counter. She wasn’t about to kill anybody; it was a shock gun. Juliette just hoped these scientists really were just that, and not also super soldiers. She hadn’t fully tested out the weapon before they’d left the compound. She took a deep breath and strode out of the room.

With the plan now fully abandoned, she wasn’t exactly sure how they’d be making their great escape. She could have just stayed put and let Peter handle it, but the thought of not being beside him made her feel nauseous. The last time she’d left his side in a fight, they’d both been snapped out of existence. This time if they went down, at least they’d be together. 

She strode down the corridor, trying to form some kind of no nonsense plan in her head as she walked. She could do this. For Peter. 

Juliette heard the scientists up ahead and slowed down, trying to keep the sound of her footsteps to near silence so she wouldn’t draw attention to herself. There were three, all seemingly unarmed. Seemed easy enough. 

“Going somewhere, gentlemen?” They turned round and she could practically see their pupils grow from where she stood. One reached for an alarm on the wall and she raised her gun. “Oh no, I wouldn’t make this any harder than it has to be for yourself. It’s not like I’m gonna kill you. Just maim or seriously injure.” 

She stunned the scientist closest to the alarm and watched him drop to the ground. That would buy them at least another five minutes of time. Off to a better start. The other two instantly turned back to run towards the lab. 

“Shit,” she took off and pressed a hand to her comms to block out the noise of her footsteps, “got two more coming your way, bug-boy. I’m on it though.” 

The door of the lab was wide open by the time Juliette got there. Peter was putting up a good fight, but it was clear he direly needed assistance. 

She shot a taser at one scientist but missed, instead blasting a table onto its side as the contents all rolled off. She aimed again right as he came behind Peter with a clipboard raised in attack, stunning him before he could get the hit in, even if it wasn’t going to be strong enough to hurt him. She wasn’t taking any chances. Two down, one to go. Except this one had made a break for one of the tables instead of either of them, and had just plunged a syringe into his arm. 

Uh oh. 

“Jas!” 

He advanced on her and she backed up, pulling the trigger on the gun but this time the sparks just crackled around him and vanished. Maybe she shouldn’t have made that joke about dying so soon. 

Alas, she kept trying on the off chance that maybe she was weakening him somehow until she gave up entirely and dropped the weapon to the floor. She always thought she’d go out in a cool way, not being crushed to death by a nerdy scientist. 

And she had practically begged to come on this mission. 

Juliette continued backing up as if that might do anything other than delay the inevitable She barely realised she was walking right into the overturned table until her foot caught on the leg and she fell back, her head smacking against the floor hard enough so make her vision black out for a moment before blurrily making its return. She closed her eyes and braced herself, wanting it over with so Peter could escape. But the blow never came. Instead, there was a thwip and a thump and she raised her head in surprise. 

Peter had webbed him into the wall with a web grenade. No wonder he’d never allowed her to mess around with that setting. The webs reached at least 5 meters in width. 

“You okay?” Peter knelt down, sliding his hand under her head to check for any blood. 

“I’m alive.” She managed a smile, and Peter did the same after rolling his eyes in response to her nonchalance. 

His eyes suddenly fell on something beside her head and she turned to look at whatever happened to be more interesting than her possible brain damage-inducing injury. Her superior in the pyramid of Peter’s interests happened to be a black box. A safe to be exact. 

“That’s it,” Juliette breathed. 

She wasn’t sure what made her so certain, but Peter must have agreed because he didn’t question it. Keeping his hand under her head, he lowered his head to press his ear against the door as his free hand turned the dial. 4110. The safe beeped and Peter pulled the door open. 

Only one thing sat in the depths of the box. A small vial filled three quarters of the way with red liquid. They found it. 

Neither of them dared to say a word at first, both still processing this absolute stroke of good luck. It was the grunting of the scientist trying to break through his silky bonds that finally brought them back to reality. 

Peter snatched up the vial, helping Juliette to her feet before pressing the vial into her hand so that she could secure it into the pocket of Natasha’s jacket. 

“Are you okay to keep moving?” 

“No other choice.” She rubbed her head, then reached out to squeeze Peter’s arm in assurance. 

The scientist grunted again. It looked like some webs were already breaking. 

“We better move,” Peter shot another web to cover the scientist’s mouth and raised a hand to his comms, “Happy? Yeah, we got it. Stay on the channel, it’s time for escape route B.” 

Juliette could vaguely make out Happy shouting that there was no second escape plan, but it was a little too late to discuss it now. Peter had tugged her wrist, and they were running out of the lab, down the corridor in the opposite direction to the way they’d come in. 

“The map?” Peter asked frantically.

“I left it in the control room. I was trying to save you!” 

So here they were, just running blindly and hoping that they wouldn’t get hurt any more in the process. It wasn’t long before an alarm blared and the lights began flashing red. The scientist must have finally broken free and warned the others, which meant they had even less time to think of another escape plan. 

“Here! An exit.” 

Peter tugged on her wrist again, but before they could even turn the corner, the door Peter had been leading them to was thrown open and at least a dozen guards were trickling in, looking way more jacked than the one Peter had dealt with. 

“Better make that escape plan C.” he panted.

Juliette nodded, and they spun on their heel, running back the way they came. Without the map they would be done for. They needed a sense of direction, especially if they were to make sure that Happy could prepare to pick them up from wherever they needed him to. 

“The control room! We can use the map.” Juliette yelled over their panting.

“We’ll be trapped!” Peter argued. 

“Well then, I guess we better hurry!” 

She ran faster, leaving Peter no choice to do the same. It wasn’t like he couldn’t overtake her if he wanted to. They reached the control room and practically stumbled in. Peter slammed the door closed and pressed his back against it to stop anyone else getting in while Juliette rushed to the desk, slipping the override into her pocket and grabbing the map. 

“I got it!” She glanced at the screens and her eyes widened. 

“You know how the spy wasn’t sure how many agents they had around here?” 

Peter glanced over, struggling to hold his own against the agents pushing against the door. 

“Yeah?” 

“Well, I know. It- it’s a lot.”


	6. The Great Escape

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Juliette and Peter make their escape from the HYDRA base, but all is not as it seems and Peter is pissed. Warning: characters are painfully oblivious.

“Left! Go left!” 

“The map says turn right!” 

“You’ve been holding that thing upside down for the fast five minutes, Parker! Happy’s waiting for us.” 

To say the mission had gone well was a big fat lie. It had been a success in the endgame; they had the vial that they came for, but the execution was about as well done as the meat on Hell’s Kitchen.

Not that Juliette’s plan was bad either. She’d slayed that PowerPoint. It was the fact that Peter had triggered some kind of trap and there was no way Juliette was going to leave him there, no matter how much he pleaded. It was her persistence that had gotten them into this mess, just like always. 

“Crap.” Peter slowed to a halt and threw out an arm to stop Juliette from running ahead of him.

It took her a moment to register the distant sound of footsteps running towards the pair. Crap indeed. They hadn’t been fast enough. 

“Are we surrounded?” she asked, thanking his Peter Tingle for preventing the two of them from running headfirst into an ambush. They’d screwed up more than enough times already with this mission. 

“Yeah, and they’re armed.” 

Juliette took the time to catch her breath and wrack her brain for a plan. The two of them weren’t in a fighting state. They had shot Peter in the leg, and although the bullet had thankfully just grazed his skin, the adrenaline wouldn’t keep him going for much longer and he’d smashed one of his web-shooters. 

She wasn’t exactly cover shoot ready herself either. In struggling to keep up with Peter, she’d stumbled multiple times and her right ankle was swelling like a pufferfish. Not to mention she was still reeling a little from how hard she had hit her head on the ground back in the lab. Honestly, all of this could have all been some sort of delirium. 

By now, the footsteps were becoming more obvious as their pursuers drew nearer. Time was running out. 

“Pete-” 

“I know! I know, Jules, just give me a sec.” 

Peter glanced up, and she followed his gaze. She noticed the skylight and groaned. 

“Fuck, really?” 

“It might just be our only chance.” 

She hated this plan, but there was no better idea. Not in the mere seconds they had until the guards were upon them. Happy was waiting with the quinjet, and they couldn’t put him in any more danger. 

“Fuck it.” Juliette stepped closer to Peter so that he could circle one arm around her waist around her waist and shoot a web upwards with the other.

She ducked her head down, right as the two ejected through the glass and rolled onto the roof. She was secured in Peter’s arms, braced against his chest. He groaned a little from the blow. He had a scratch across his cheek, but other than that he was surprisingly okay. 

“You good?” Peter asked. 

“Still breathing. You’re comfortable, though.” 

Juliette smiled at him, and he returned it. For all that had gone wrong, they still made a pretty good team. They’d found the vial, and they’d escaped without the help of anybody else. If only Tony and Nat were around to see them now. How proud would they be?

“Maybe we should let you lead more missions,” Peter suggested.

Juliette scoffed. “Yeah, cos that one went so well.”

They laughed breathlessly. Neither was prepared to move just yet. Juliette had meant it when she’d said that Peter was comfortable. The air blew some hair into her face and she moved to brush it back, but Peter beat her to it, His fingers were gentle as they slid to where her head had hit the table before. No blood had to be a good thing. Peter’s hand remained on the back of her head. Juliette tried to see his thoughts through his eyes, but all of a sudden he had guarded himself from her. Like he didn’t want her to know what he wanted in that moment. What he desired.

The two jumped up at the sound of the quinjet rising to greet them at the other end of the roof and they ran, hand in hand, to safety. Or they tried to, but Juliette’s legs suddenly gave out from under her and she crumpled. Had Peter not been there, she would’ve been in trouble. 

“Jas? No. come on, not now,” he pleaded.

“Kid?” Happy lowered the ram and stood waiting to help them in. 

“I’m fine, keep going.” 

She shook it off and half ran/half stumbled to the quinjet, grabbing Happy’s hand as she let him pull her safety. They’d finally pulled something off. Her first mission had been a success, despite all the hardships. She’d done something for the team, and that felt amazing. She had found a future for herself.

“You kids get the vial?” Happy asked. 

He helped Peter sit down and grabbed the first aid kit kept on board the Quinjet. As always, he knew to focus on the mission first and ask questions about their wrongdoings later. 

“Yeah. We won.” Juliette smiled at Happy and held out her arm for him to rub an antiseptic wipe over a graze on her elbow. 

Her swollen ankle was propped on the opposite chair. The adrenaline was starting to wear off a little now, but nothing could dampen that feeling of pride over their success. 

“Did we?” Peter muttered, catching Juliette’s gaze without the usual sense of kindness in his own. 

Okay, maybe it wasn’t a something but a someone that would dampen her pride. 

“What do you mean? We got the vial. Mission accomplished.” 

She winced a little at the stinging sensation of the antiseptic. Peter breathed out a laugh and stood up, limping a little as a result of the condition his leg was in. 

“See? We look like we just stepped out of an action film. This is why I didn’t want you coming on this mission with me. I said I didn’t want to worry about you, but you didn’t listen to me. You never listen and we both almost paid for it back there!” 

Juliette dropped her arm and glared. “Oh boohoo, I have some scratches and an excuse to stay home watching Star Wars all day for the next week. I’ve endured much worse,” she argued. 

Did he think this was any different from when they’d fought alongside the team? Nobody had gotten hurt who didn’t need to, the outside world probably wouldn’t even find out about what had gone down today. They were in the clear, and yet Peter was still angry because she didn’t listen to him when he tried telling her what to do. 

Of course she hadn’t listened when her best friend had wanted her to leave him for dead. If she had listened, then there was no way they could be best friends. She was strong enough to fight through the pain; it was what she had spent the majority of her youth training for. Peter was always working hard to protect her, it was selfish to expect her not to do the same when he was in danger. 

“Jules, this isn’t like other missions. You’re a Rogers. You got hurt and now you’re bleeding. Do you realise how much DNA we both might have left behind? And on top of that, you could have gotten seriously hurt! What if one of those bullets hit you, instead? What if you’d cracked your head open when you tripped over that table or my web grenade hadn’t stopped that scientist from getting to you?” 

“You could get hurt too, Parker,” she pointed out, “you’re fast and you’re strong, but you’re not immortal. I had to watch you leave for months, not knowing wether you’d come back or not. And one time you didn’t. I can’t go through all of that again. I know the risks, I’ve already survived them. Just like you did.” 

She shook her head and went back to tending her wounds. How many times had she had other variations of this same argument with the rest of the team? Part of being a hero meant looking out for those who couldn’t save themselves, risks be damned. It was what her father did, what Peter did, what Tony and Nat had died doing. 

“It’s clear you’re not gonna change your mind,” Peter huffed, “so could you please at least tell me the reason behind this insane death wish of yours? How could you possibly want any of this, Jules?” 

He sat down and stared at her blood-streaked hair, like he couldn’t bring himself to look away, but he couldn’t stand the sight of it either. She probably wasn’t looking her best right now, but she was too worked up to care all that much about it. 

Juliette exhaled slowly and glanced back at Peter. His eyes were wide and bloodshot red. It reminded her of how he’d looked after Tony’s sacrifice. He was scared, barely holding his head above water. She supposed maybe she owed him some kind of explanation for her persistence. She was the one who had ditched the plan in the first place. 

“If I’m going to go, I might as well go doing something good. Then I suppose my training with Natasha would be complete. I’d know everything that she wanted me to. You of all people should understand that.” she said softly, holding Peter’s stubborn gaze.

Peter stayed quiet for a moment longer before shaking his head and raking his fingers through his hair. 

“I just don’t want to lose anyone else. ‘Specially not you.” 

Juliette had been letting Happy clean her head, but gently pushed him away so that she could focus on the conversation. Happy disappeared into the cockpit as she met Peter’s eyes once again. There was something else mixed in with that fear. Something she recognised only because she could feel it too. “If something happened to me, then fine. We can’t risk the lives of millions for just one life.” 

“But it’s not just one life, it’s yours!” 

“Peter-” 

He clenched his jaw. “You begged to come on this trip and then you don’t even follow the plan that you came up with.” 

“I was trying to help you!” Juliette scoffed, “nobody gets left behind, that’s the rule. If it hadn’t been for me, there would have been four against one.” 

“I could have taken them, I have my powers. You-” 

“I what? Would have been useless? Made things worse?” 

Peter closed his mouth and looked down at the ground. “That’s not what I was going to say.” 

“Sure it wasn’t,” Juliette muttered. 

She had thought that Peter of all people would understand what it was like to be seem as weak. To be underestimated. Clearly she was wrong, and that hurt more than the throbbing at the back of her head and the ache in her feet put together. 

“Jules,” Peter whispered, his eyes pleading, “I can’t handle losing you again. The truth is that I-” 

The jet jolted with a hit of turbulence, sending the vial rolling off the table and to the ground almost in slow motion. Juliette heard the glass smash before the shards landed on her unpropped foot. Liquid already oozing down the aisle of the plane, staining the floors crimson like a beautiful masterpiece. 

“No.” She lowered her leg and slid onto her knees on the floor of the aisle between the seats, trying desperately to wipe up the blood so that even the smallest drop could be of use to Bruce in the lab back at the compound. She had been so proud. This was an extra knife to the chest alongside Peter’s words. Everything she had just suffered and risked relied on getting that vial for her father. For herself, so that no kid ever had to endure what she had. 

Peter had moved to help, but he paused when he saw the red stains on her hands and grabbed her palm, unclenching her fingers and bringing it to his face. He wrinkled his nose and looked back up at Juliette as Happy emerged from the cockpit to see what all the fuss was about. 

“Fake.”


End file.
